Vehicle-brake.



PATENTBD JUNE 5, 1906 LA. BALL, JR. VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 10. 1903.

2 sums-sum1.

Ivm/enbo aqugusbus 3Q Bal I JT:

Wiim eases APPLICATION FILED AUG 10. 1.903.

ZSHEBTS-SHEET 2.

In Venter* aq Ball Jr.;

qugusvtus /e adbby.

' y 1No.e22,23e.

7 thereto.

- Fi liand 6 are enlarged views of detail 50 9 and 10 of the divided axle.

UNITED sTAjTEs yPaTEyT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS A. BALL, JR., F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A COR- PORATION 0F NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-BFAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

To all' whom it mayoncern:

. Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS A. BALL, Jr., a. citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Brakes7 of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-brakes, and is intended more particularly for selfpropelled vehicles. Its object is toprovide an .improved constructon of brake adapted for use in connection with the differential gear of the driving mechanism and in such co erat-ive relation thereto as to .be inclosed wil the casin of the'differential gear.

ment of parts will be-more fully described hereinafter and Afinally pointed .out in the claims. i

In the' accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobilerwith portions in section, showing one form of m improved brake device applied ig. 2 is a sectional plan vlew of thadifferential elr,showing the brake mechanism morein etail and drawn on 'a larger scale. Fig'. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of 2.. A F' 4 is a vertical transversesectio of the fere'ntial gear and brake on line4 4 ofFig. 1 drawn on a larger scale,l and reference-numerals designate cor.- re on arts.`

efedrgfgpto th drawings, 1 and 2 are the twd' parts of the reenter-divided rear axle; 3, one of the' rear wheels; 4, the adjacent rear full-'elliptic .body-supporting spring, and 5 thevelzucl'e-body'..y

4o While-'1n invention 'is illustrated connectionwit a steam-automobile, it is never- .theless a plicable to other power plants 1n which di erential gears areu'sed in the powertransmission systems. The steam-engine is inclose'd in a casing 6, which combines with the differential-gear casing A7 to form a'complete housing for .the power-transmission elements. A rear-axle arch 8 is arran ed 1n the usual manner and connects with s eeves l The detail of this construction is well known and is not The details o construction and arrange-- flanges serve as here illustrated. The inner ends of the ear consists of a driven ear-wheels 16 on the meeting ends of the divided axle, and bevel# pinions 17, carried by the spur-gear 15. The detail construction of the iferential'gear is part of the .differ .p

included in the sub'ect-matter of my. co-

pending application, erial No. 17 7,047 iiled October 14, 19.03. The spur-gear l-meshes with a drivin -gear 18, Fig. 3, mounted on the crank-sha of the engine;v but it will be understood that .any driving mechanism may be emplo ved for transmitting power to the differentia gearing, as this feature is of jects of my invention.

The bevel vided, with a circumferential flange 19, preferably cast integral therewith. The flange 19 is arranged on the side of the wheel opposite to that havin the bevel-gear teet and relatively to eac tend laterally in opposite directions. These brake-drums., which are inernally turned true to form the braking-suraces.

Disposed within each brake-drum is an expanding brake-band 20, of suitable spring metal.

lete circles and are adapted to engage the rake-drums throughout their circumferences. As shown in Fig. 3, each brake-band 2() is provided with a strap` or yoke-piece 21., riveted thereto. 22, one bolted in each side plate of the diiierential-gear yoke, afford means for supporting the brake-bands relatively stationary or in-` constant operative relation to the brakedrums. I

A brake-band is supported on each-of the` gear-wheels 16 are each pro- 4minor importance in accomplishing the obother the flanges ex- These bands are substantially vcom- IOO studs or lugs 22 by means of its strap 21 and. is retained thereon by an annular flange or head 23 on the inner ends of each stud. These flanges 23 on the vsupporting-studs also prevent rubbingcontact ofthe brake-bands with the Web portions of the bevell gear-wheels 16, so as to obviate unnecessary wear and friction.

Two expanders 24 are provided for actuating the brake-bands, one expander being arran ed between the meeting ends of each A bra e-band. These expanders'arejournaled to reelyturn in the side plates 11 of the yoke.

` Their outer ends each carry an arm 25, Fig.

Isf box or `casmg, and their inner Iends are S- Y apart.

'1s adetached yfrom the top "without- :the necessity o v2, ,disposed exterior of the dilierential-gear shaped in cross-section, Fig. 3, so as to'form suitable toes or abutments 26 for engaging the ends of .the brake-bands. -One end of each o the 'brakebands is offset within its peripheay, so that the ends of the brakeba'nd engage the toesv or abutments 26 in such a disposition as to produea maximum 'braking'e'fiect with but slight movement of lthe expanders. "In otherfwords, the endsof .the I and overla and the actuator or lexpander 'is' located etween them. The, S-shaped ends oit the eX anders are provided with Vlang'ges '27,Whcv -serve .the same function as the flanges'23 of the supporting-studs, thus eombinin therewith for maintaining the roper Are ation of the brake-bands to the eve'l gearwheels vand brake-drums. The flanges 2.7 also have the function of retaining the ex yanders in theirbearings, as the ends of the v rake-.ban ds interlock with the flanges, .andl thereby lprevent accidental disengagement .of the expanders. Furthermore, the

proper relation ofthe brake-band and eX- Ifeet upon the vehicle With the'present form of kss .exp

brake, the brake-bands `must be applied to the brake-drums simultaneously, thereby..

chedki'ng equally and v:at the same time the power im art'ed' to the two `bevel gear-l Wiheels. or accomplishi'ng this p-urpose `the y anders yare connected withan-equalizing-4 sha'l't28, 'that is ada ted tbeoperated by va suitable foot or han' .lever mechanism. This shaft f 28 fis pivotall-y supportedadjacent its center by a knuckle-,joint 2,9,` Fig. 5, and is,`

provided'with apair (1f-arms 30,eachofwhich I is disposed, preferably, at equal 1distances from the pivotal ,connection and in the plane ol an adjacent ar-m 25 ofthe expanders. The

knuckle-joint comprises a depending lug 31 on the shaft 28 and two lugs 32 on a supporting member or strap 33, which is secured at one endl to the' engine-frame 34 and at its other end to the differential-gear yoke, the

.lugs' being provided with registering openings for'recei-ving a pintle 35. Fig. 5 shows in detail this knuckle-joint, it being one that permits of a limited tilting movement of the shaft. The tilting oi the shaft 28,., inaddition to its swinging movement, is particularly desirable, for it affords compensation for Vunequal wear of the brake-bands, so that .the power a plied vwill be equa-lized `between them ratiier than be sustained by the lugs of the joint werethere no provision for the tilt- .ing of Jche shaft. 'Thus the'llugs `are preferab y separated slight-'ly'rom one. another, and

the opening in the lug 3'1 is .of larger diameterlthanA4 the intle 35 for receiving aba'lil 36,

upon which t e shaft swings or tilts.. p

The arms 30 of the shaft terminate in sphericalsockets 37, and the arms 25 ofgthe expanders are also ,e rovided at their endsy with sockets 38. T e sockets of 4adjacent arms of .the shaft and expanders, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, receive .the ball ends of a link 39. The ends of the links 39 4are secured' in the sockets b equalizing-sha t 28 is lformed into a cra-nkarm-41, which is `hinged to a'drag-link`42, the same :in turn being connected with a lever-43 intermediate-a -foot lever or .pedal 44 and its 'connecting-link 451 sui-table `footerl hand lever mechanism Ina- -be employed for operating the shaft28`wit out affecting, .the

scope of my invention.` lhe 'pins 40 are i11- serted through the openings 46 in the sockets pins -v40. One -end of ,the

IOO

and are secured in 'bores 47 of thelball endsoflinks by frictional engagement. The ends-of the pins are reduced abruptly in diameter to form shoulders. These reduced ends entend into the openingsY 46 and allow a limited the shoulders are ,adaptedI to interlock with theedges of the openings, so that the-possi bilit of the pins Working loose is eliminated. Raev end of the links is .provided with an oilduct 48, in which a piece of oil-saturated tel-t IIO movement of the links in the sockets, while is compressed. The expansive force of thev i felt tends to take up any loose play' .between the sooket-andb all end, and thereb. contrib utes to form a cushioned and noiseibss joint; From'the foregoing description ythel operar tion of the vehicle-brake will be understood te lbeas lfollows: Power upon being applied to the edal is transmit-ted/ by the intervening mec anism to the crank-arm of the shaft 28,

thereon to swing forward. v"These in 'turn-depress the arms' 25 of the expanders by the u x 2 5 actuating thesame and causing the arms 30 seance links 39, andas the arms 25 are depressed the expanders are actuated, causing the toes or abutments thereof to engage with the ends of the brake-bands, thus expanding them and forcing a frictional engagement with the brake-drums. By reason of the arms 30 being rigid with the shaft 28 they act in unison and With equal powerso that the braking eect -is thesame on each bevel gear-Wheel of the differential gear. t

l In this construction of vehicle-brake the braking part-s are .all disposed Within a dustroof casing, and as the brake-bands are unaced, being simply of metal, the differentialgear box may 'contain lubricating-oil Without materially impairing the effectiveness of my brake.

In accordance With the rovisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention,to'gether With the apparatus Which I consider to be the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that theapparatus is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

ll'hat I claim as new; and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of a divided driving-axle and differential gearing, a yoke for the gearing, comprising side plates separably connected by top and bottom plates, brake-drums provided on each member of a divided axle, brake-bands for the drums each mounted on a side plate of the yoke and removable therewith, and means for operating the brake-bands.

2. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of a divided driving-axle and a differential gearing, stationary sleeves for the axle which forni part of the running-gear, a yoke for the gearing comprising sep arably-connected parts united with the sleeves, a drum on each bevel gear-Wheel of the differential gearing, brakebands carried by the separable parts of the yoke, and means also carried by said parts for operating the brake-bands.

3. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of the bevel gear-Wheels of. the diferential gearing, brake-drums on said Wheels, a stationary yoke for the gearing comprising removable iparts, brake-bands, means for supporting t e brake-bands on the separable parts of the yoke in' co erative relation to the drums,

'and actuators or the brake-bands mounted in the separable parts of the yoke and removable therewith.

4. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of a differential gearing, a stationary yoke therefor com rising separable parts, brakedrums provi ed on the differentially-movable members of the gearing, brake-bands therefor removably mounted on the separable parts of the yoke and removable there- With, and actuators for the brake-bands interlocking with he ends thereof for maintaining their cooperative relation.

5. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of a dierential gearing, a yoke therfore comprising separable parts, brake-drums .provided on the differentially-movable members ofthe gearing, brake-'bands therefor, su portinglugs removably securing the ban s. to the separable arts of thevyoke,- and. actuators for the bra e-bands mounted on the separable parts of the yoke and interlocking with the ends of the brake-band whereby the latter retain their cooperative relation to the. actuator upon removal of the separable parts of the yoke.

6. The combination of a plurality of brakedrums, expanding brake-bands therefor, S- shaped expanders forming abutting engagement with the ends of the brake-bands, arms on the expanders, a shaft, arms thereon opposite the arms of the expanders, links connecting corresponding arms of the shaft and expanders, and means for actuating the shaft.

7. The combination of brake-drums, expanding brake-bands therefor, S-shaped expanders in abutting relation to the ends of the brake-bands, flanges on the expanders cooperating with the ends of the brake-bands for retaining the expanders in operative relation to the brake-bands, and means for actuating the expanders.

8. The combination of a plurality of brakedrums, brake-bands therefor, independent actuating means for the brake-bands, a shaft forming a common connectionfor the actuating means, a central pivotal mounting for the IOC shaft having a limited lost motion for equalizing the force exerted by the shaft between the independent actuating means, and means for operating the shaft.

9. The combination o'f a plurality of brakedrums, brake-bands therefor, independent means for actuating the brake-bands, a shaft connected With the means for actuating the same simultaneously, and a knuckle-joint supporting the shaft, comprisinga depending lug on the shaft having a bearing therein, a ball in the bearing, a pin in the ball forminf trunnions therefor, and means supporting the pin.

10. The combination of brake-drums, brake-bands, actuators, arms on the latter, an equalizing-shaft, arms formed thereeiz'fi., sockets provided at the ends of said arms and having diametrically opposite openings, ballended links engaging in the sockets of adjacent arms of the expanders and shaft, and removable ins tightly fitting in the ball endsof the inks, saidl pins having their ends shouldered and reduced to loosely enga e in the o enings of the sockets and inter ook with the edges 'of said openings.

11. In a vehicle, the combination of a runried by and removable With' the sn'epa't'ebleI ning-gear frame, a rear driven axle, a difieren parts of the yoke.. v 1 1- tial gearing therefor, a yoke comprising sepa- In Witness whereof I have yhereunto set my rable parts and .fixed to the running gear hand this 7th day of August,y 1903. 1 frame, andabrake device for each dileren- AUGUSTUS A.`BALL,=JR.` f tially-movable part of the rear axle, one mem Witnesses:

, ber of each brake being carried by the rear f DUGALD MoK. MCKILLOP,

axle' and the other member thereof being car- CHATTIN BRADWAY. 

